A Local's Review of Five Amish Restaurants in Sarasota, Florida

Unbeknownst to many across the United States (and the world), is a small Amish community within Sarasota, Florida, known as the Pinecraft community. This community is an attractive place for sampling the fare and crafts that the Amish have come to be known for, including traditional Amish recipes, furniture, quilts and other crafts.

Although the Amish (pronounced AH-mish) as a people are most closely associated with certain counties in Pennsylvania and Ohio, there are significant Amish populations scattered throughout many other states.

Contrary to popular belief, the Mennonites preceded the Amish--the Amish are actually a conservative offshoot of the Mennonites. The Mennonite movement originated in western Europe in the eary 1500's and later on a segment of the Mennonites split off from the main church and formed a separate movement (the Amish). Neither of these movements traces back to Holland or to the Dutch. The word "Dutch" as associated with the Amish/Mennonites is actually an anglicized form of "Deitsch" or "Deutsch," meaning "German." The Amish and Mennonites who emigrated to the United States in the early 1700's to escape religious persecution were primarily from Germany and Switzerland, not from Holland.

Because of their common roots and similar lifestyles, the Mennonites and the Amish often intermingle. Thus, within this article, I use the terms "Amish" and "Mennonite" interchangeably.

One of their well-known similarities is, of course, their sytle of cooking. Culinary experts would probably best describe Amish/Mennonite food as American Traditional. It is what the average American would call "meat and potatoes" food--hearty, filling meals that "stick to your ribs" as the saying goes. Peruse most any menu at an Amish restaurant and you will find such traditional favorites as country fried steak and gravy, hot open-faced sandwiches (turkey, roast beef or meat loaf), mashed potatoes, roasted ham, dressing, pot roast, country chicken, pork chops, roasted chicken breast, beef & noodles, chicken & dumplings, fried chicken and fried fish. And I would be remiss if I failed to mention their desserts--the Amish/Mennonites are well-known for their pies and other desserts.

As a Sarasota local, I have had ample opportunity to dine on these delicious foods. The Amish/Mennonite restaurants here in Saraosota pride themselves on offering generous portions of homemade food at very reasonable prices. They would not have it any other way. My family and I eat at these establishments throughout the year and buy our pies from them for the holidays and other special occasions. These restaurants offer the best-tasting homemade pies and desserts one can get for their money. I was ecstatic to find one of my personal favorites that I have not had in years: peanut butter cream pie. I am usually not fond of peanut butter--not even in a dessert; but they way they whip their cream pie fillings into a light, mousse-like texture makes them out of this world.

The Amish/Mennonite community here in Sarasota, although not as ultra-conservative in lifestyle as those in places like Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, still maintains much of the culture and decorum that their more conservative counterparts are known for. You will not see them riding in traditional horse-drawn buggies up and down dirt roads; but they still dress in traditional plain clothes and wear prayer coverings on their heads. Most of them do not own cars, preferring instead to walk, to take a bus or to ride their three-wheeled bicycles to and from their destinations.

The following is a brief review of five of the foremost Amish/Mennonite restaurants in Sarasota. I have paid particularly close attention to how long each restaurant has been in business, who the restaurant is owned and operated by, the reputation of each restaurant with the locals and the authenticity of the fare served. I feel that I have come up with a truly representative slice (no pun intended) of Amish/Mennonite foods in Sarasota--and especially in the Pinecraft community. I have linked to each restaurant's home page, where possible, so that the reader may have access to menus, addresses, driving directions and so on.

In researching this article, I came across a lot of erroneous information on the internet. Several of the restaurants that I found online were defunct, had changed their locations and/or had changed their names. The information in this article is current as of August of 2010. Please call the restaurant in advance, especially if you will be traveling a long distance.

One final note: nearly all of the Amish/Mennonite restaurants in this area have a no smoking policy, they do not serve alcohol and they are closed on Sundays. The ban on smoking in restaurants is statewide and has nothing to do with the individual restaurants themselves. Also note that these restaurants answer the phone when they are open for business; but after hours you will usually not even get so much as a recorded message. All times listed in this review are Eastern Standard Time.

Sugar and Spice Family Restaurant--if you are visiting on the weekend or over the holidays, be prepared to wait as there is usually a considerable crowd. Call ahead for wait times. Sugar and Spice is locally owned and operated and recently began opening at 7 AM to serve breakfast (they used to serve only lunch and dinner). Sugar and Spcie does not have an extensive gift shop but does sell many of their jams, pies, cakes, breads, dressings and vegetable for take-home.

Web Site: http://sites.google.com/site/sugarandspicesrq/
Address: 4000 Cattleman Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233
Phone Number: (941) 342-1649
Days/Hours of Operation: Monday through Saturday, 7 AM to 9 PM; Closed Sunday
Meals Served: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Alcohol Served: No

Troyer's Dutch Heritage (formerly Der Dutchman)--is the largest Amish restaurant and gift shop in the Sarasota area. It features a hot buffet and salad bar as well as banquet facilities. It is in the heart of the Pinecraft community and is situated around many other Amish/Mennonite-owned businesses. Their gift shop has an outstanding collection of all things Amish--including quilts--and next door is a well-known furniture store that will custom design pieces of Amish furniture for you.

Web Site: http://www.troyercorp.com/restaurant/sarasota/sarasota.php
Address: 3713 Bahia Vista St, Sarasota, FL 34232
Phone Number: (941) 955-8007
Days/Hours of Operation: Monday through Thursday, 6 AM to 8 PM; Friday and Saturday, 6 AM to 9 PM; Closed Sunday
Meals Served: Breakfast 6 AM to 11 AM; Lunch 11 AM to 4 PM; Dinner 4 PM until Close
Alcohol Served: No

Yoder's Restaurant--has garnered quite a buzz lately due to an episode of Man v. Food recently filmed here. The episode will air on The Travel Channel® on September 16, 2010 at 10 PM. For anyone who is interested, there is a link on Yoder's home page that will allow them to view the clip. Yoder's is located in the heart of the Pinecraft community and they recently built a stand-alone gift shop on their premises to house their selection of Amish crafts and wares--just look for the country blue building with white trim adjacent to the restaurant itself. Yoder's also sells fresh produce along with jams, baked goods, cheeses and lots more. And yes, Yoder's sells Peanut Butter Cream pie (it's one of their best sellers).

Web Site: http://www.yodersrestaurant.com/
Address: 3434 Bahia Vista St, Sarasota, FL 34239
Phone Number: (941) 955-7771
Days/Hours of Operation: Monday through Saturday, 6 AM to 8 PM; Closed Sunday
Meals Served: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Alcohol Served: No

Miller's Dutch Kitchen--is a bit out of the way as far as its location. It is located in Bradenton which is the next town north of Sarasota. Nonetheless, it is well worth the short drive. The beautiful two-story building houses the restaurant on the first floor and the newly-renovated gift shop on the second floor (gift shop grand re-opening on September 8, 2010). Miller's Dutch Kitchen also serves a breakfast buffet from 7 AM to 11 AM monday through Saturday.

Web Site: http://millersdutchkitchen.com/
Address: 3401 14th St W, Bradenton, FL 34205
Phone Number: (941) 746-8253
Days/Hours of Operation: Monday through Saturday, 7 AM to 8 PM; Closed Sunday
Meals Served: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Alcohol Served: No

Dutch Valley Restaurant--is somewhat of an anomaly--or perhaps I should say hybrid--as far as Amish restaurants go. It is located outside the Amish community off of Highway 41 (South Tamiami Trail); and although it is not owned/operated by the Amish, you will notice that some of its patrons and employees are Amish/Mennonite. Dutch Valley serves a hodge-podge of dishes that range from Amish to Greek to Mexican. There are over 100 dishes to choose from, including pastrami, reuben and club sandwiches, belgian waffles, hamburgers, meatball subs, greek salads, moussaka, cuban sandwiches, pasta, steaks and traditional Amish fare. Dutch Valley has been doing business in the same location for 28 years. They serve beer and wine and are open on Sundays.

Web Site: http://www.dutchvalleyrestaurant.net/
Address: 6721 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231
Phone Number: (941) 924-1770
Days/Hours of Operation: Open 7 days a week (including Sunday), 7 AM to 9 PM
Meals Served: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Alcohol Served: Yes, Beer & Wine

In closing, I am sad to inform the reader that two other Amish restaurants in the Sarasota area have closed their doors due to financial hardship: Dutch Oven and Mom's Amish Country Cooking. Dutch Oven was somewhat removed from the Amish community as far as location and authenticity. It was located near an outdoor shopping mall known as the Gateway Plaza--which is directly off of Highway 41 (South Tamiami Trail). It was not as longstanding nor as integrated into the Amish/Mennonite community as Mom's Amish Country Cooking was.

On the other hand, Mom's Amish Country Cooking was located in the heart of the Pinecraft community for many years and was as Amish as one could hope to find. The establishment was owned/operated by Amish/Mennonites and employed mostly Amish/Mennonites. The food and decor, as expected, were Amish traditional. I remember stopping by Mom's to pick up lunch and seeing the women out front behind their bake sale tables--offering all kinds of homemade bakery items at great prices. Sarasota will miss you, Mom's.

There you have it--my recommendations to you on the best Amish/Mennonite eating establishments in the Sarasota, Florida area. If you stop by, bring your appetite--you are going to need it. And leave room for dessert!

Sugar and Spice Family Restaurant, Sugar and Spice Family Restaurant, sugarandspicesrq
http://sites.google.com/site/sugarandspicesrq/

Troyer's Dutch Heritage, Dutch Heritage - Sarasota, FL, Troyer Corporation
http://www.troyercorp.com/restaurant/sarasota/sarasota.php

Yoder's Restaurant, Yoder's, Welcome to Yoder's Amish Restaurant of Sarasota, Florida!
http://www.yodersrestaurant.com/

Miller's Dutch Kitchen, Miller's Dutch Kitchen, millersdutchkitchen.com - Millers Dutch Kitchen
http://millersdutchkitchen.com/

Dutch Valley Restaurant, Dutch Valley Restaurant, Welcome to Dutch Valley Restaurant of Sarasota, Florida!
http://www.dutchvalleyrestaurant.net/